Despite being the #2 seed in the West, the Rockets were not picked to win their first-round series. Houston is playing the Golden State Warriors, not your typical #7 seed.
The Rockets lost 95-85 in Game 1 on Monday. In Game 2, Houston was well-prepared for the Warriors and got a 109-84 win to even the series. Jalen Green scored a postseason career-high 38 points. He is the youngest Rockets player in team history to score 35+ points in the playoffs.
Jalen Green scored 38 points for the Rockets in Game 2 on Wednesday
IT WAS THE JALEN GREEN SHOW IN HOUSTON TONIGHT!!!
🚀 38 PTS
🚀 8 3PM
🚀 6 AST
🚀 4 REB
🚀 3 STLThe Rockets even the series 1-1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wAQerA4sKw
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2025
In the 2025 playoffs, the Rockets are making their first appearance since 2020. Houston has a mix of veteran players and young talent that went 52-30 in the regular season. Good enough for the #2 seed in the Western Conference. On Wednesday, the Rockets were home for Game 2 vs. the Warriors. The team could not afford to lose games 1 and 2 at home. That would have given Golden State all the momentum heading back home for games 3 and 4.
Luckily, Houston was able to hang on for a 100-94 win on Wednesday in Game 2. Over his four-year career with the Rockets, Jalen Green has grown offensively. He averaged 21.0 per game in the 2024-25 regular season. Green has been known for his questionable three-point decision-making, especially on nights when he’s not effective from beyond the arc. We saw this in Game 1 when Green finished with seven points and went 0-4 from deep.
However, Green put a rough Game 1 behind him and was clutch for the Rockets in Game 2. He finished with a team-high 38 points and had eight three-pointers made. Additionally, Green had four rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Houston’s offense struggled in Game 1, scoring 85 points. Jalen Green kept the team afloat in Game 2, and Houston held on for the 100-94 win. The series is tied 1-1 heading to Golden State for games 3 and 4. Can Houston steal a game on the road like the Warriors did to them in Game 1?
